Outfielder Ben Revere was in the lineup Wednesday as a replacement for Josh Willingham, whose wife, Ginger, had a baby boy on Wednesday.

The Twins could use Revere's speed to ignite their offense.

"Coming up through the minors, they would call me the firecracker, get stuff sparked up," Revere said.

He was 2-for-5 with a double, a bunt single and two runs scored in his return to the lineup, a 7-6 loss to Boston that was the Twins' fifth in a row.

Revere opened the season with the Twins, but was sent down to Class AAA Rochester on April 14 so he could get some playing time.

"I was actually happy," he said half-jokingly. "It gave me a chance to play a little bit more. I was kind of getting bored on the bench. I could tell I was annoying the coaches, getting up and moving around crazy."

He hit .222 in six games with the Red Wings, but said he feels he was able to get his timing down and is in position to help the major league club.

"Ben is going to go out there and play a little left field," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Maybe excite us and get a win."

If anything, Revere helped give the Twins their best outfield defense, range-wise, of the season. Revere was in left, with Denard Span in center and Trevor Plouffe in right.

Gardenhire gave Revere credit for not sulking after being sent down and playing hard while with the Red Wings. Revere said he was told he could be with the Twins for at the three days or "the rest of the season."

The Twins do plan to reduce their pitching staff from 13 to 12, perhaps by Friday's game against Kansas City. That could create room for Revere to stick around.

"If not, I'll go back down there, bust my tail some more and come back again," Revere said.

It's a boy

The Willinghams welcomed their third son, Rogan Jaynes, into the world. Rogan was measured at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 21 inches.

According to the league's paternity leave policy, the Twins can call up a player to replace him on the active roster for three days. That ends after Friday's game. If Willingham returns on Friday for the start of the series against Kansas City, Revere or someone else would have to be taken off the roster. If Willingham -- and there's no evidence suggesting this will happen -- needed more than three days to be with his family, the Twins would have to play shorthanded after the third day.

Etc.

• Paralyzed Benilde-St. Margaret's hockey player Jack Jablonski was to throw out the first pitch at Wednesday's game, but his family announced on Twitter that he was too sick to make the game.

• Sean Burroughs was in the lineup at third base Wednesday, his third start of the season. But Gardenhire said he's been pleased with Danny Valencia's play there in recent games. "He's fine," Gardy said of Burroughs. "He catches the ball. Danny is moving a lot better and doing a lot better. He's working real hard. Sean knows how to play over there, also. The times I have put him out there he's moved around just fine. Anticipates, knows the guys who bunt."

• Kyle Waldrop, on the disabled list because of a right elbow strain, threw an eight-minute bullpen session during which he threw sliders for the first time. He said he felt great and will throw another bullpen session Sunday. No word yet on when he will head out on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.